Calaboose - Punta Gorda, FL - Relocated Structures on Waymarking.com

The calaboose was an early jail in Punta Gorda. The roof is solid metal, two bunks fold down on either side, and the metal doors were padlocked. The walls had been set in concrete and were cut off when moved. Until 1921, Punta Gorda was part of DeSoto County and the county jail was first in Pine Level and then Arcadia. According to Charlotte County's local historian, the late U.S. Cleveland, no one worse than the town drunk was ever imprisoned in the town calaboose. The late Byron Rhodes remembers it in 1905 near where the old courthouse is now, alongside a holding pen for cattle caught roaming within city limits. Vernon Peeples - whose family arrived in 1935 - remembers it in the same location. It was later moved to the Parker family ranch on Washington Loop and used as an animal pen; they donated it to the History Park in 2001.

Original Location: N 26° 56.077 W 082° 02.997 How it was moved: Disassembled Type of move: Inside City Building Status: Public Related Website: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/04/2012 petendot visited it 01/21/2009 crackergals visited it 09/21/2008 debbado visited it

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